Kalmiopsis (Kalmiopsis leachiana) is a rare flowering plantendemic to the Siskiyou Mountains of southwest Oregon, where it is specially protected in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness reserve. It was discovered in 1930 by Lilla Leech in the Gold Basin area.[1] It is related to Kalmia in the family Ericaceae. It is an evergreenshrub growing to 10-30 cm tall, with erect stems bearing spirally arranged simple leaves 2-3 cm long and 1 cm broad. The flowers are pink-purple, in racemes of 6-9 together, reminiscent of small Rhododendron flowers but flatter, with a star-like calyx of five conjoined petals; each flower is 1.5-2 cm diameter. The fruit is a five-lobed capsule, which splits to release the numerous small seeds.
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